U.S. patent application number 11/656844 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-24 for hands-free flashlight suspended from neck of user.
Invention is credited to Jacquelyn R. Simoni.
Application Number | 20070115652 11/656844 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46327107 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070115652 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Simoni; Jacquelyn R. |
May 24, 2007 |
Hands-free flashlight suspended from neck of user
Abstract
A method and apparatus for illuminating the area in front of a
person without requiring the use of the person's hands, by
suspending from the neck of the person a housing containing at
least one LED light source emitting a light beam extending
forwardly from the person, a battery power supply for the light
source, and a switch connected between the light source and the
power supply for energizing and de-energizing the light source. The
housing is shaped to rest against the chest of the person so that
the direction of the light beam remains substantially stable. The
housing may be pivotable relative to a connector to permit the
light beam from the light source to be directed forwardly from the
person through a preselected range of angles both above and below a
horizontal axis.
Inventors: |
Simoni; Jacquelyn R.; (Glen
Ellyn, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Stephen G. Rudisill;JENKENS & GILCHRIST, A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
Ste. 2600
225 W. Washington
Chicago
IL
60606-3418
US
|
Family ID: |
46327107 |
Appl. No.: |
11/656844 |
Filed: |
January 23, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11301617 |
Dec 13, 2005 |
7185997 |
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11656844 |
Jan 23, 2007 |
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10749708 |
Dec 31, 2003 |
7008075 |
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11656844 |
Jan 23, 2007 |
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60638756 |
Dec 23, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
362/103 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21V 21/30 20130101;
F21V 21/145 20130101; F21V 21/0885 20130101; F21Y 2115/10 20160801;
F21L 4/04 20130101; F21L 4/00 20130101; A01K 27/006 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
362/103 |
International
Class: |
F21V 21/08 20060101
F21V021/08 |
Claims
1. A method of illuminating the area in front of a person without
requiring the use of the person's hands, comprising: suspending
from the neck of the person a housing containing at least one LED
light source emitting a light beam extending forwardly from said
person, a battery power supply for said light source, and a switch
connected between said light source and said power supply for
energizing and de-energizing said light source, said housing being
shaped to rest against the chest of said person so that the
direction of said light beam remains substantially stable.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said light source comprises a
plurality of LED light sources.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said light source illuminates an
area extending at least about 10 fee in front of the person.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said light source illuminates an
area extending at least about 20 feet in front of the person.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said light source is a white LED
light source.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said light source emits a light
beam that has a width of at least about 5 feet at a distance of
about 10 feet in front of said person.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said housing is suspended in a
manner that inhibits swinging movement of said housing.
8. A flashlight for illuminating the area in front of a person
without requiring the use of the person's hands, comprising a
housing containing at least one LED light source, a battery power
supply for said light source, and a switch connected between said
light source and said power supply for energizing and de-energizing
said light source, and an attachment device including a loop
carrying said housing and adapted to surround the neck of said
person so that said housing is located in front of the chest of
said person.
9. The flashlight of claim 1 wherein said attachment device
includes a clip that is detachably hinged to said housing to permit
said housing to be interchangeably attached to said clip for
pivoting movement through different ranges of movement relative to
said clip.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This invention claims the priority of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 60/638,756, filed Dec. 23, 2004.
[0002] This application is a continuation-in-part of pending
application Ser. No. 11,301,617 filed Dec. 13, 2005 and a
continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/749,708 filed Dec.
31, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,008,075, issued Mar. 7, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates generally to a hands-free
flashlight and, more particularly, to a lightweight device that is
suspended from a person's neck to illuminate a region in front of
the person.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided
a method and apparatus for illuminating the area in front of a
person without requiring the use of the person's hands, by
suspending from the neck of the person a housing containing at
least one LED light source emitting a light beam extending
forwardly from the person, a battery power supply for the light
source, and a switch connected between the light source and the
power supply for energizing and de-energizing the light source. The
housing is shaped to rest against the chest of the person so that
the direction of the light beam remains substantially stable. The
light source may comprise a plurality of LED light sources.
[0005] In one embodiment, a connector is hinged to the housing, and
a flexible loop is coupled to the connector for suspending the
housing from the neck of the person so that the housing is located
in front of the chest of the person. The housing is pivotable
relative to the connector to permit the light beam from the light
source to be directed forwardly from the person through a
preselected range of angles both above and below a horizontal axis.
The hinge between the connector and the housing may restrict the
movement of said housing after it has been positioned to direct the
light beam at a desired angle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The invention may best be understood by reference to the
following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0007] FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a person wearing a
hands-free flashlight, according to one embodiment of the present
invention, with the light beam directed slightly downwardly,
[0008] FIG. 1B is the same as FIG. 1A but with the flashlight the
light beam directed upwardly, FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective
view of the flashlight shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B,
[0009] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the flashlight of
FIGS. 1A and 1B,
[0010] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the flashlight of FIGS.
1A and 1B,
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the interior of the rear
section of the flashlight of FIGS. 1A and 1B,
[0012] FIG. 6 is the same perspective view shown in FIG. 5 with the
batteries removed,
[0013] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one side of the circuit
board contained in the front section of the flashlight of FIGS. 1A
and 1B,
[0014] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the other side of the
circuit board contained in the front section of the flashlight of
FIGS. 1A and 1B,
[0015] FIG. 9 is an electrical schematic of the electrical circuit
contained in the flashlight of FIGS. 1A and 1B, and
[0016] FIGS. 10 and 11 are plan views of two parts of a two-part
adjustable band for use with the flashlight of FIGS. 1-9; and
[0017] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the flashlight shown in
FIGS. 1A-1C with the housing attached to the clip with an
orientation inverted from that shown in FIGS. 1A-1C.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Although the invention will be described next in connection
with certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the
invention is not limited to those particular embodiments. On the
contrary, the description of the invention is intended to cover all
alternatives, modifications, and equivalent arrangements as may be
included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by
the appended claims.
[0019] Turning now to the drawings, and referring initially to
FIGS. 1A and 1B, a flashlight 10, according to one embodiment of
the present invention, includes a housing 11 made of molded plastic
material and adapted to be suspended from the neck of a user (see
FIGS. 1A and 1B). By suspending the housing 11 from the neck of the
user so that the housing rests against the chest of the user, the
light beam produced by the light source in the housing remains
relatively stable. For example, the direction of the light beam
does not move with movements of the user's head. Because the
housing 11 can be pivoted about a horizontal axis (as described in
detail below), the elevation angle of the beam may be adjusted to
direct the beam downwardly (as depicted in FIG. 1A) or upwardly (as
depicted in FIG. 1B) from horizontal. Thus, the light beam may be
directed onto different objects located at different elevations, or
to illuminate regions at varying distances in front of the
user.
[0020] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the housing 11 includes a front
section 12 and a rear section 13 which mate to form an internal
cavity to contain the components described below. The front section
12 and the rear section 13 are molded, along their respective
joining internal edges, to form a snap fitting of the kind well
known in the state of the art. The front and rear sections 12 and
13 may thus be easily taken apart for access to the internal
cavity. Alternatively, the two parts may be joined by an integral
"living hinge" on one side and an integral snap-type latch on the
opposite side to hold the two sections 12 and 13 together.
[0021] The front housing section 12 forms a substantially oval
aperture 14 for receiving a translucent or transparent lens 15
through which light from sources inside the housing can be
transmitted forwardly from the housing. In the illustrative
embodiment, the front housing section forms upper and lower rims 16
and 17 along the upper and lower edges of the aperture 14 to
prevent light from being transmitted straight up or down from the
aperture. The ends of the aperture, however, are unobstructed so
that light can be transmitted laterally directly from the end edges
of the aperture 14.
[0022] The illustrative flashlight 10 forms a unit that may be made
small and compact for ease of packaging, handling and use, and to
reduce cost. For example, one preferred embodiment uses a housing
of approximately 21/8 inches in the x dimension, 15/8 inches in
they dimension and approximately 7/8 inches thick or deep. It will
be understood, however, that the dimensions of the housing may be
varied for different shapes and designs.
[0023] A hinge section 20 is molded as an integral part of the rear
housing section 13, and mates with a complementary hinge section 21
formed as an integral part of an attachment clip 22. A pin 20a is
inserted through the two hinge sections 20 and 21 to hold them
together while permitting rotational movement of the two hinge
sections relative to each other. The opposed surfaces of the two
hinge sections 20 and 21 that move relative to each other are
roughened to increase the friction between those surfaces, to
inhibit swinging movement of the housing 11 and thereby improve the
stability of the light beam. Thus, the angular position of the
housing 11 can be adjusted relative to the clip 22 to optimize the
illuminated area in front of a person wearing the flashlight, and
the housing will remain in the selected position. The hinge also
permits the housing to be rotated 180 degrees so that it lies flat
against the clip 22 before the clip is attached to the loop used to
suspend the housing from the neck of a user, thereby providing a
shorter unit.
[0024] The clip 22 also forms a pair of T-shaped slots 23 and 24
opening through opposite edges of the clip for receiving and
holding a loop 25 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) adapted to fit around the
user's neck. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the housing 11 depends from
the bottom edge of the clip 22, and the lens 15 is located toward
the lower end of the housing 11, so that the light emanates from
the lens a couple of inches or more below the loop 25. The loop 25
can be made of a variety of different materials, such as those
commonly used to suspend a pair of glasses from the neck of a
person. The loop is preferably adjustable to permit the housing 11
to be positioned at different elevations on the user's chest, and
to accommodate users of different sizes. The loop may also be made
of an elastic material to facilitate the application to, and
removal from, the user's neck.
[0025] An on/off switch 30 is located on the bottom of the front
housing section 12. A pattern area 31 and a lip 32 are molded into
the housing to provide finger and thumb surfaces that can be felt
and gripped when opening the housing 11 to change batteries or to
access the interior of the housing for other purposes such as to
replace the light sources.
[0026] FIG. 5 shows the interior of the front housing section 12,
which contains an internal circuit board 40. Three 1.5-volt
alkaline batteries 41, 42 and 43 are mounted on the rear side of
the circuit board 40, making contact with three pairs of
conventional battery terminals 44a and 44b, 45a and 45b, and 46a
and 46b attached to the circuit board 40. FIG. 6 is the same view
as FIG. 5 with the batteries removed to more clearly show the
battery terminals and their attachments to the circuit board
40.
[0027] FIGS. 7 and 8 show the circuit board 40 without the housing.
It can be seen that the lens 15 is mounted on the front side of the
board 40, and three light emitting diodes (LEDs) 47, 48 and 49 are
mounted on the board directly below the lens 15 (see FIG. 8). The
center LED 48 is positioned to emit a light beam directed straight
forward, while the two side LEDs 47 and 49 are positioned to emit
light beams directed slightly outwardly. The LEDs preferably emit
white light with about 12,000 to 14,000 millicandelas. This
combination of light beams is capable of illuminating an area
extending as far as 200 feet in front of the user, with a beam
width that is at least 5 feet wide at a distance of about 10 feet
in front of the user. It will be understood that the LEDs may be
varied in both number and size, but it is preferred that the source
or sources be sufficient to illuminate an area extending at least
10 feet, most preferably at least 20 feet, in front of the
user.
[0028] An incandescent lamp 50 is also mounted on the front side of
the board 40, for a purpose to be described below. Finally, the
on/off switch 30 is also mounted on the front side of the board 40,
adjacent the bottom edge of the board.
[0029] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit
provided the circuit board 40 to interconnect the various
components mounted thereon. The three 1.5-volt alkaline batteries
(AAA) 41-43 are electrically connected in series to provide 4.5 DC
volts to the circuit through a sliding SPST on/off switch 30. The
three white LEDS 47-49 are connected in parallel with each other
and in series with the switch 30 so that all three LEDs are
illuminated when the switch 30 is turned closed. The incandescent,
tungsten-filament lamp 50, of the kind used for ornamental
lighting, e.g., as in Christmas tree light string, is used as a
constant current ballast resistor in the circuit. The current
flowing through the tungsten filament of the lamp 50 varies with
the available voltage from the batteries 41-43 due to the positive
temperature coefficient of the filament, thereby providing a
substantially constant amount of current to the LEDs 47-49. By
using the incandescent lamp 50 as a variable resistor, the life of
the batteries is extended and the intensity of the white LEDs 47-49
is more uniform over the life of the batteries 41-43.
[0030] If desired, a variable impedance may be added to the circuit
to permit the intensity of the light beam to be adjusted by a
manually operated adjustment device (e.g., a knob) accessible on an
exterior surface of the housing. A mechanically adjustable
reflector may also be used to permit the light beam width to be
adjusted.
[0031] If desired, red or green LEDs or lenses may be used instead
of white LEDs and a clear lens. Red and green light assists night
vision (e.g., for hunting), and animals are more comfortable with
green light. Combinations of LEDs of different colors may also be
used, with one or more switches to permit selection of a light beam
of the desired color.
[0032] FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a two-part band 200 that can be
sold with the flashlight to accommodate different applications and
users of different sizes. The band 200 comprises two adjustable
bands 201 and 202 of different lengths, with mating male and female
clip elements 201a, 201b and 202a, 202b attached to opposite ends
of the respective bands. The male element 201a or 202a of either
band 201 or 202 also mates with the female element 201b or 202b of
the other band 201 or 202, i.e., the male elements 201a and 202a
are interchangeable, and the female elements 201b and 202b are also
interchangeable. The band 201 is also made adjustable in length by
using a glide/slide 203 that allows the band to double up to
shorten the band, or to be extended to a single layer to lengthen
the band.
[0033] The flashlight may be used with either band 201 or 202
alone, or the two bands may be connected in series with each other,
as illustrated in FIG. 10, to form a larger-diameter band. Thus,
the two separate bands 201 and 202, combined with the adjustability
of each band, permits the user to choose a desired size from a wide
range of possibilities. For example, having a single package that
accommodates all sizes of users and all applications reduces
inventory, shelf space and manufacturing costs.
[0034] Any desired fabric may be used to form the bands 201 and
202, such as cotton, nylon, polyester or polypropylene. The bands
201 and 202 are preferably made of an elastic material.
[0035] FIG. 12 illustrates how the housing 11 and attachment clip
22 can be adapted for interchangeable use as a head lamp. The
housing 11 is attached to the clip 22 with an orientation inverted
from that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that the back of the housing
11 can be pivoted flush against the front surface of the clip 22.
The hinged connection between the housing 11 and the clip 22
permits the housing to be easily tilted to different angles, such
as the angle illustrated in FIG. 12, to direct the light beam
forwardly or downwardly at different angles to illuminate desired
objects or areas. For example, the light beam can be directed
downwardly onto a book for reading, or straight forward for
walking.
[0036] The orientation of the housing 11 and clip 22 illustrated in
FIG. 12 is achieved by removing the screw 20a that extends through
the holes in the integral hinge portions of the housing and clip.
The housing is inverted and then re-attached to the clip with the
hinge screw 20a and a mating nut that is threaded onto the free end
of the screw. In the embodiment illustrated, both the screw head
and the nut are recessed in countersunk portions of the end
surfaces of the hinge section 21.
[0037] While particular embodiments and applications of the present
invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be
understood that the invention is not limited to the precise
construction and compositions disclosed herein and that various
modifications, changes, and variations may be apparent from the
foregoing descriptions without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *